Turkey shouldn’t expect to get Israeli gas before 2020

Deliveries of Israeli gas to Turkey shouldn't be expected to start before 2020, as it is needed to build a complex infrastructure of gas pipelines under the Mediterranean Sea, says Alexander Sotnichenko, associate professor at St. Petersburg State University in Russia.

"It is much more promising to deliver gas to Turkey from Iran," Sotnichenko, a turkologist and holder of a PhD in history, told Trend Dec. 17.

Speaking about a possible gas deal by Cyprus, Turkey and Israel, the expert said that in terms of effectiveness of laying the gas transportation routes, such a deal is the most promising solution, but requires the settlement of the Cyprus issue.

A gas field was discovered in 2011 in the Mediterranean Sea to south-east of Cyprus. Its reserves are estimated at 225 billion cubic meters.

Cyprus started to study the field in details the same year, despite Turkey's dissatisfaction.

Ankara demanded to end the geological exploration there, considering that it has the right to develop the deposit with the permission of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.